Brush and process for forming the same



Feb. 15, 1944.

A. L. LE FEBVRE BRUSH AND PROCESS FOR FORMING THE SAME Filed Dec. 16, 1941 TOP/V4? Patented Feb. 15, 1944 UNITED STATES PAENT OFFICE...

BRUSH AND PROCESS FOR FORMING THE SAME Alfred L. Le Feb vre, Windsor, Conn., assignor to The'Fuller Brush Company, Hartford, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application December 16, 1941, Serial No. 423,199

' p Claims (cl. sow-21) 1 This invention relates to that type of brushes comprising two ends, usually forming the core of the brush, which are secured within a handle, more especially the brush material being secured to the coreby twisting two pieces of wire together and the ends which are secured in the handle being extended beyond the brush structure, and an object of the invention, among others, is the production of a brush of this type in which anextreme degree of rigidity is obtained between the brush and the handle, which is particularly efifective in a brush of the type shown herein wherein such brush is bent into looped form. v

One form of a brush embodying the invention and in the construction and use ofwhichthe objects herein set out, as well as others, may be attained is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a side view of a brush embodying the invention with the handle broken away to show construction.

Figure 2 is an end. view of the handle, scale enlarged.

Figure 3 is a view in cross section through the shank of the brush.

Figure 4 is a view in section on a plane denoted by the broken line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Figure 5 is a view illustrating the step of heating the shank of the brush.

Figure 6 is a view illustrating the step of inserting the heated shank into the handle.

Figure 7 is a view illustrating the step of hardening the softened portion of the handle after insertion of the brush shank therein.

It has been a diflicult matter in the manufacture of brushes of this type to so unite the handle and the brush that the latter will be rigidly secured in place. In previous operations when the tangs or ends of the brush were inserted in holes in the end of the brush handle no matter how tightly they might be secured there was a weaving action permitted by the resiliency of the wire, and the loop form of brush provided a leverage that increased this tendency to weaving action with a result that the brush structure instead of being rigid was more or less flexible and resilient which is an undesirable feature. To overcome this objectionable result the holes were filled with an adhesive which hardened and became solid, but this did not overcome the difficulty as the adhesive did not secure the rigidity needed.

It was then proposed to drill two holes into the end of the handle in such close proximity that the holes would cut into each other so that the two tangs or ends of the brush would touch each other when inserted in the holes. The two tangs'were then welded together along their meeting surfaces and they were then inserted into the holes which were made sufiiciently small to secure a tight fit; This did not secure the necessary rigidity even when the adhesive hereinbefore referred to was employed.

In developing the invention disclmed herein the handles are formed of a composition of matter, different compositions being suitable for the purpose. A handle formed from a composition which'softens under heat is employed, two holes are bored into the end of the handle cutting one into the other, and the two tangs or shanks are welded together as hereinbefore explained.- The holes are made small enough to provide a comparatively tight fit for the tan-gs 'or shanks and these are welded together to provide a stem; This stem is then heated-to a suitable degree, an electric heater satisfying this procedure and the tan-gs thus heated are inserted into the tight holes the walls of which under the influence of the heat become softened and slippery so that the shank of stem is forced'into place in the holes provided for it. During the insertion of the shank into the holes a blast of air is directed against the point where the insertion is being made, this for the purpose of removing the smoke from contact with the bristles or brush fibers, which when of light color, would otherwise be discolored. This smoke is blown into a hood which is under suction and which acts to carry the smoke and fumes away from the operator.

Promptly after the insertion of the tang within the handle the latter is submerged in water to eifect a hardening and setting of the composition of which the handle is composed and it has been found that the most desirable efiects are produced when the handles are thus submerged in a current of running Water.

The improved brush and the process for uniting the handle and the brush as illustrated in the drawing herein embody a brush and a handle generally denoted by the numerals 5 and 6, respectively. The handle, as hereinbefore explained, is formed from a composition of matter which will soften under the influence of heat and the brush is formed of bristles or other brush material 1 in a manner common to the manufacture of brushes of this type. Two holes 8 are formed in the handle, these holes being so closely positioned that they cut one into-the other forming an opening 9.

The two ends in of the brush are placed in contact and welded as at I I. The shank thus formed is heated as by an electrical heater 12, the ends being placed between the electrodes of the heater. The tang or stem is then inserted manually into the holes 8 and forced into such holes. The contact of the heated tang with the walls of the holes softens the material and causes it to become slippery so that the tang is quite readily inserted. During this insertion the point of operation is placed between a nozzle 53 from which a blast of air is directed upon the handle and tang and the smoke is blown toward the mouth of a hood l4 in which a suction is produced to take away the smoke and fumes.

After this operation the handle with the brush secured thereto is placed in a receptacle in which a current of running water is maintained as by supply from a tap [5, the surplus water being disposed of by a drain I6.

I claim:

1. A brush comprising a handle member having two holes in one end cutting into each other to remove the dividing wall between them, and a brush member comprising a wire with brush ma? terial secured thereto and bent into loop form with bared ends extending into said holes and welded together contiguous one to the other therein for mutual support thereof and held therein by fused material of the walls of the holes filled into the crevices and depressions of said bared ends and thereby constituting an integral mass comprising the handle and filling.

2. A brush comprising a handle member having two holes in one end cutting into each other to remove the dividing wall between them, and a brush member comprising a core formed of twisted strands of material with brush material secured in said twisted core, said brush member being bent into loop form with bared ends extending into said holes and welded together contiguous one to the other therein for mutual support thereof and held therein by fused material of the walls of the holes filled into the crevices and depressions of said bared ends and thereby constituting an integral mass comprising the handle and filling.

3. A brush comprising a handle member having two holes in one end cutting into each other to remove the dividing wall between them thereby creating oppositely disposed ribs extending lengthwise of the holes, and a brush member comprising a wire with brush material secured thereto and bent into loop form with bared ends welded together thereby forming grooves to receive said ribs, said bared ends being extended into said holes and held therein by fused material of the walls of the holes filled into the crevices and depressions of said bared ends and thereby constituting integral mass comprising the handle and filling,

4. The process for making a brush that consists in providing a handle member of material fusible by heat, forming two holes in the end of 20 the handle member cutting into each other to so si t n provid n a hand membe o mate ia fusible by heat, forming two holes in the end of he handl mber pu t n into ac other 2. remove the dividing Wall between them, providing a brush havi a c re f tw d i t secu 3.5 brush m el the e n d avin a shan com prisine the ba e e d DI h rush m mber, Weld said bared ends get e to fo m g ooves extending lengthwise of the shank on opposite sides the eq hea ing a d h k and then i 0 serting it in o a d h s th reby twins the wel s thereof to effect entry of the fused materialinto said grooves.

ALFRED L. LE 

